Connecting Legacy Devices to the Internet of Things

Connecting Legacy Devices to the Internet of Things

Connecting Legacy Devices to the Internet of Things

The true value in the Internet of Things is realized when most devices, both old and new, are connected to the cloud and their data is collectively analyzed, revealing actionable insights that can transform business. However, a significant challenge is that many legacy and existing devices, which make up 85 percent of all devices, are ...isolated and unconnected. New solutions are needed to get them securely connected since waiting for a full refresh of infrastructure to reap the benefits of IoT is impractical.

Many legacy devices, especially those used in commercial and industrial applications, tend to have long life spans. As a result, it is not always possible or economically feasible to upgrade a large number of embedded devices to enable them to communicate with the cloud.

An alternative is to use gateways, which provide value by attaching to existing devices and their sensors in order to secure, aggregate, and filter their data. This creates opportunities to optimize the efficiency of the device, prevent failures, and create new services. The gateway needs to be intelligent and have sufficient processing power to enable end-to-end analytics that will drive business transformation, as shown in the following examples.